Water gardens are a container for a large variety of plants in many textures and with a huge selection of flowers.
Water
gardens are less maintenance than a lawn. A properly designed water garden is home to all sorts of great pets.
The Relaxing sounds and mesmerizing visual efects of falling water calls in
an abundace of all sorts of wildlife.
POND LOCATION
The more sun a location gets the more your
water plant flowers will bloom but also more ALGAE. Less sun makes more leaves. An area that gets partial sun and shade is ideal.
Now adays with the use of POND SKIMMERS, If you have adequate circulation it will clean the waters surface into a net before leaves and needles have a
chance to sink to the bottom making tree locations more practical than ever before although roots can be a concern. If a water
garden is to be built directly over roots a POND LINER is the obvious choice.
With ARTIFICIAL ROCK a pond can be raised above ground level and still look natural by creating a mountainous style. Waterfalls of any size
can be built on flat lot's. 360 deg. views can be achieved with Asian style islands. Formal pools look nice with columnar
basalt fountains. Natural looking rock patios can overhang the pools edge creating a koi fish hangout.
The possibilities are endless!
POND MATERIALS
A POND LINER is supposed to last about 20 years, if all goes well, so if your thinking of having a 12 ton water feature
built on top of your garden pool, you will probably want the pond made of concrete. With todays available supplies
a properly built concrete pond will last for generations and in the event of dammage it can be effectivley repaiered. Having
said that, Pond liners do have their place. Over tree roots, in less permanent designs or long skinny runs such as a garden
stream. Artificial rock can be built over a pond liner but I recommend one that could be removed so the liner could be
replaced if needed.
HOW BIG OF A WATER FEATURE?
Generaly a larger volume of water
is easier to reach the proper eco-balance and so easier to maintain.
If you plan on keeping fish, the depth needs to be about a foot below the ice thickness in your area unless you use a
de-icer.
The pond will shrink a lot in appearance when you start loading it up
with water plants so keep this in mind when laying out your water garden.
WATERFALLS (Photo B)
waterfalls are a great way to circulate a ponds water
and I would consider it a must for Koi ponds. A bio filter can be hidden in a waterfall and falling water is an excellent
way to pump oxygen into the water. Not to mention the sights and sounds which are not only pleasing to us but also the creatures
it attracts.
POND PUMPS
The POND PUMP can be a large initial investment, however the newer designs cost very little to operate and are built for constant
operation.
Unless you have a very large water feature I recommend a submersible
pump that can be hidden in a POND SKIMMER. It's quiet and easy to install.
While the newer pump hoses are convienient
for their flexibility, they are also quite expensive. The nice thing is, standard PVC fittings can be glued right to them
so you can use a section of the flexible stuff near the pond pump where you need it to bend then switch over to the less expensive
PVC for the rest of the run.
POND FILTERS
Mechanical Filters~ basically some sort of a strainer.
Bio-Filters~ A container with some sort of medium (lava rock works well) for beneficial
bacteria to grow in. The bacteria feeds on ammonia and converts it into nitrates used by plants and fish. A
bio-filter takes time to begin working properly and if the pond pump is shut off for even 5 or 6 hours the bacteria can die
and the system will have to start over again from scratch.
UV ULTRA VIOLET POND FILTERS ~ Water is pumped through an ultra violet light which kills free floating algae. The wattage of the bulb and
the flow of water are balanced with the gallons of water in the pond and so usually a slower pump than the
waterfall needs is required meaning a secondary pond pump to opperate the UV filter.
A skimmer sucks the water from the surface
of the pool and catches the junk before it sinks to the bottom in a easily cleaned basket or net and also keeps the water
temperature a bit cooler which is good for algae control.
Water plants add color, texture and fragrance
to your water garden. They shade out algae, cool the water, provide oxygen and create hide-out's for koi & gold fish.
FISH & OTHER POND CRITTERS
Fish are more easily kept
than people might think and they have many benefits. They add life color and movement to your garden and nutrients to
your plants. They make excellent pets (photo E) and they eat MOSQUITO LARVAE that might have otherwise been hatched out in a tire or puddle.
Racoons
can be kept from eating your fish simply by making it to deep for them to wade in. Eagles (photo F) have
to be able to have a large clear swath to swoop through before you need to worry about them. Blue heron damage can be minimized
by overhangs or caves for the koi fish or gold fish to hide in or under.
Turtles
can be trained to eat out of your hand and can be kept in the pond area with the surrounding rock design.
POND MAINTENANCE
Blanket ALGAE is the biggest job. It is beneficial on the side and bottom of the pond but will need to be manually removed from waterfalls,
streams and pond SKIMMERS before it changes the water flow. If you don’t have to worry about children, Making the pond deep with vertical
sides will make the algae much less of a nuisance. But don’t forget to build in water plant shelves.
Some people occasionally add fertilizer tablets to their water plants which is a good way to fertilize
the roots of the water plant without fertilizing the algae in the pond. Snipping out dead leaves and flowers and thinning
plants will keep your pond looking it's best.
Please be a responsible gardener and do not allow non native plants & fish to escape their contained environment!
Install A Water Feature How to install a water feature article to help you in creating your own pond.
(A)
(B)
ARTIFICIAL ROCK WATERFALL
Koi Fish Koi fish make excellent pets. They can grow to over 30” long! Koi fish become tame over time and will hang
out near the edge of the pond next to you, allowing you to pet them & eating out of your hand.
Get your live Koi fish and supplies here at discount prices, sometimes even below wholesale!
Mosquito Control Here is a mosquito trap you can build yourself and get more enjoyment out of than you ever imagined.
Pond Benefits If your having a battle with your spouse on installing a water feature, here’s some helpful tips to throw
at them.
Pond Liner Build your own pond with a pond liner. You can purchase them here at huge discounts. Sometimes even below wholesale
prices!
Pond Pumps A huge selection of brand name pond pumps at discount prices.
Pond Skimmers Pond skimmers take a lot of maintenance out of owning a pond. They keep the surface clear and greatly reduce the junk
that ends up on the bottom. Check out some other prices then purchase them here and save!
(C) A skimmer helps keep the pond clean
(D)
STONE CRAFT LANDSCAPING Artificial Rock Learn about artificial rock and it’s benefits, look at some pictures, see the installation process or hire
Stone Craft Landscaping to custom build some in your yard.
UV ultra violet sterilizer filters A U.V. filter is the most foolproof way to eliminate green pond water. Make sure you get the right size or watts
for the water volume in your pond. You can purchase U.V. Filters here at huge discounts!
(E) Blue Gill
(F) Bald Eagle
Photo By Chris Jones
Water Garden Books Water garden books provide expert advise, inspirational pictures, how to articles and years of enjoyment. Here
is a selection of some for sale with great reviews.
Water Garden Style Designing a water garden is about being observant in natural settings and then using your imagination in the yard
to re-create your experience.
WATER PLANTS
Water Plants A huge selection of aquatic water plants at great prices.
Container Water Garden How to build a container garden. Build your own simple water garden to bring the sights and sounds of a water
feature into your garden. Plant selections, Diagrams, and a picture gallery.
WATER PLANT INFO. A valuable aquatic plant dictionary. Alphabetically listed botanical names with common names. Descriptions, information,
hardiness zones, and pictures for making a selection or water plant identification.
)
)
 )
 Blue Gill)
